Lee apologizes as approval rating falls, vows greater humility
President Lee Jae Myung said he would humbly accept public criticism and work harder after a poll showed his approval rating fell nearly 10 points.
President Lee Jae Myung apologized Wednesday after his approval rating dropped by nearly 10 percentage points, saying he would humbly accept the public's assessment and work harder.
“I humbly accept the public’s sober assessment," President Lee wrote on X on Wednesday, while on a trip to three European countries for the Group of 7 (G7) summit.
"I will broaden my outreach, embrace more people and work harder," Lee added.
Lee's comments came in response to a public opinion poll released the same day.
Lee received a positive job approval rating of 50.4 percent in a survey of 1,002 adults aged 18 and older, conducted Monday and Tuesday by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI).
The figure was down 9.4 percentage points from the previous survey conducted in the fourth week of May. Lee received a negative rating of 45.7 percent, up 10.5 percentage points. The gap between positive and negative assessments has narrowed to within the margin of error.
By age group, positive evaluations were strongest among respondents in their 50s, at 62.7 percent. Those in their 40s followed with 60.9 percent. Negative evaluations were more prevalent among those in their 20s, at 62.3 percent. Those in their 30s followed at 59.9 percent.
By region, Lee had the highest positive rating in the Gwangju, South Jeolla and North Jeolla regions at 75.8 percent. The Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong regions followed at 57.2 percent, and the Gyeonggi and Incheon regions at 50.3 percent.
In Seoul, positive and negative evaluations were closely divided at 49.3 percent and 47.2 percent, respectively.
Negative evaluations exceeded positive ones in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang regions at 62.7 percent. The Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang regions followed with 52.4 percent, and Gangwon and Jeju Island at 50.6 percent.
Among policy areas, 22.5 percent of respondents said economic recovery was the area where Lee was performing well. It was followed by foreign affairs and national security at 11 percent, welfare and labor at 9.1 percent and national unity at 6.8 percent.
Among areas where respondents said Lee was performing poorly, 18.7 percent cited efforts to eliminate insurrection forces, referring to those linked to the martial law declaration in December 2024. National unity followed at 17.2 percent, and economic recovery at 13 percent.
"While the ruling party won the local elections, the poll results appear to have been affected by outcomes that fell short of expectations in key battlegrounds such as the Seoul mayoral race and National Assembly by-elections," KSOI said.
KSOI's approval rating survey was conducted using a wireless automated response system. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level and a response rate of 5.8 percent.
Before Lee uploaded the comment about his approval rating on X, Lee shared a news article about the National Intelligence Service's seizure of drug precursor materials in Thailand through a joint investigation with Thai authorities.
“This shows the new side of the National Intelligence Service," Lee wrote. "A sharp knife can either harm or save people depending on how it is used."
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
